


''Sincerely yours, your Secret Santa''

by theconsultingstrangevidder



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Beauty & the Beast reference, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/M, Secret Santa, Sherlock Holmes Has a Heart, Sherlolly Secret Santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 17:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13171728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theconsultingstrangevidder/pseuds/theconsultingstrangevidder
Summary: Christmas was always a very depressing time period for Molly Hooper. Someone has decided that this must change. Will they succeed?





	''Sincerely yours, your Secret Santa''

**Author's Note:**

> Written for yourdistinguishedglitterstudent in tumblr for Sherlolly Secret Santa 2017. Unbetaed so forgive any mistake you may see here. I hope you like it.

Christmas for many years was a very depressing period for Molly Hooper. Her mother died on Christmas Eve when she was ten years old and after that she only had her dad until nearly the end of her time in uni. Ever since her mother’s death, Molly’s father continued to always try to make her Christmas look beautiful and magical in her eyes. 

And in some ways he always succeded. There was always sadness during the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of course for the one that was no longer with them, but they made the effort to remember all the little good things her mother offered them.

But that had ended with her father’s death which ironically it happened two weeks before Christmas. And of course that was what made officially Christmas a very sad and depressing time for Molly. With both her parents gone at that time of year, she never truly celebrated Christmas again. When friends and colleages were inviting her to Christmas parties she always used her work as an excuse to avoid them. Not that it was a lie that she was indeed always taken the holiday shifts on the morgue every year. 

The only time that she didn’t was for that awful as it turned out Christmas party at Baker Street, when Sherlock Holmes almost tore her to pieces with his cruel and uncaring words. He did looked regretted though and he did apologized to her and he even gave her a kiss in the cheek to prove his regret. But only an hour later Molly left the party, went back home, got out of the little black dress that she hoped would make Sherlock notice her, wear her work clothes and went to the morgue, practically pushing her coworker that covered her usual shift out of the door. Ever since that party she never tried to celebrate Christmas again. She was perfectly fine avoiding everything related to the specific holiday as much as possible.

As by a miracle though that party made her relationship with Sherlock a bit easier to handle. He was actually making real efforts to show her respect and treat her more kindly. And she in return started to show him more of her sassy side of her character, calling him out of his bullshit when necessary. They started creating a bond that got even stronger ever since he asked for her help to fake his death.

Now, a year after his return from the world of the dead, Molly was ready to spend Christmas like she always did. Working on the morgue. After all, even death didn’t stopped working on the holidays. And that was when they gifts started coming in.

The first gift was found when she opened her door one morning ready to go for a small run around the blog before taking a shower and gotten ready for work. A small red box was there on her carpet outside the door, wrapped up with a green emerald bow. Curious, she picked it up. After so many years spend being Sherlock Holmes’s acquintance she knew not to open a box just like that. So she brought it near her ear, trying to hear if there was anything in there clicking or ticking. When she heard nothing she opened it, looked inside and felt her mouth falling open. A perfectly crafted and anatomically correct little heart made out of crystal.

She took it to her hand and with a smile in her face, she moved back into the house closing the door behind her with her foot. She went and sat on her sofa, her eyes never leaving the beautiful crystal heart. Wondering who might had left the box for her, she looked inside it once again and saw a card. She quickly picked it up and read the message written upon it.

_“Christmas is supposed to be the most magical time of the year. I believe it’s time to let magic back into your life. Sincerely yours, your Secret Santa. xxx” ___

____

____

Her Secret Santa? She had a Secret Santa? How did that happened? She didn’t recalled anything like this happening on Bart’s this year. They were usually doing Christmas Balls that she more or less was always forced to attend because of her work, but not Secret Santas. Okay she would admit that she found it very intriguing. A Secret Santa, that was really interesting. Hopefully he wouldn’t turn out to be a madman again. She really seemed to attract them for some reason. 

With a quick glance in the clock she realised that she wouldn’t have enough time for running, so she put crystal heart back into the box, put the box in one of her dressers drawers and went to the shower. Thirty minutes later she was ready and out of the door for her work. She didn’t give her Secret Santa another thought, until three days later.

The second gift was delivered in her path lab. A courier entered holding a bag from one of the most expensive jewlery shops in London. He asked if she was Molly Hooper and the moment she answered that she was, he left the bag in front of her and practically run out of the lab, not giving her any time to try and give him a tip. So she turned her attention to the bag. She looked inside and saw another box in it, rather like the one she had received three days earlier, only this time it was a bit bigger. She took it in her hand and opened it quickly.

Inside the box she saw a necklace in the shape of a red rose. A red rose that somehow looked so much like the enchanted rose from the “Beauty & the Beast” animation movie. A movie which incidentally happened to be one of Molly’s most favorites even if it was considered to be a kids movie. She had seen necklaces like this before, but none so expencive looking. It had to be custom made. Then her eyes fell on the card that was placed in the middle of the box, on the inside of the very delicate and thin chain.

_“For who could ever learn to love a beast? Sincerely yours, your Secret Santa. xxx” ___

____

____

So the “Beauty & the Beast” reference of the necklace had been deliberate. She couldn’t stop the smile that appeared in her face. Her Secret Santa seemed determinate to offer her a lot of joy for some reason. She knew that eventually his or hers identity would be revealed and she found herself looking forward to it for some bizarre reason. 

 

“Looks like someone is completely bessoted with you Molly.” said a very familiar deep barritone voice very close to her, making her jump from the surprise. With a hand on her chest she turned to look at him.

 

“Damn you Sherlock you scared me. Sometimes i think you were a cat in your previous life”

 

Sherlock chukled. “I’m sorry that wasn’t my intention. I did talked to you when i came in but you didn’t heard me. So who’s that Secret Santa of yours hmm?”

 

“I don’t know. And i’m not supposed to know anyway. He or she reveal itself when it’s time i guess.”

 

“I see. Well anyway, i suppose you do have the test results i asked you to check for me ready?” 

 

“Yes of course i do.”

 

And just like that the both of them settled in a familiar routine. In every question he had she had the answer ready for him. They continued like that for two hours and when Sherlock left, she looked at the clock in the wall and saw that she still had thirty minutes before the end of her shift. Enough time for her to finish the little paperwork she had left and put the lab in order for the next shift.

Half an hour later she exited the hospital, with her enchanted rose necklace box and it’s bag safely hidden in her tote bag. She promised to herself that she would wear it without a doubt next week at the hospital’s Christmas Ball. For the first time ever since she started working there, she actually looked forward to it. Only thing left for her to do, was to find the perfect dress.

As the ball was coming closer though, her quest to find the perfect dress ended before it even began. Days before the event her work load became so hectic without her even realising how it happened and Molly started feeling very dissapointed. It seemed that this year, wherever she wanted to or not, she wouldn’t attend the Christmas Ball.

But as it turned out, her Secret Santa had different things in mind. Two days before the event another delivery man brought at her flat the biggest box of all she had received so far. He put it in her arms without much talking except for confirming who she was and just the man that brought her the rose necklace, left before she had time to even say a thank you. Whomever that Secret Santa of hers was, she really hoped that he/she paid those people good enough.

She took the box in her bedroom and left it on her bed. She opened the lid and what saw inside made her jaw drop. The most stunning red dress her eyes had ever seen was inside it. She picked the dress up and pulled it out of the box. Oh it was gorgeous. The cleavelage had small pieces of crystals that were sparkling in the light. From the waist down the dress was wide, it looked almost exactly like a dress you see in period movies like “Gone with the wind” only even more amazing if that was even possible. 

Underneath the dress she saw some black tulle peeking out in the end of it. She lay the dress in her bed very slowly, almost affraid that any fast movement would tear it apart and looked inside the box again. In there she also found a beautiful pair of shoes, black, high heels. She checked and sure enough, they were her size. It looked like her Secret Santa knew her a bit too well. She left them on the floor and took the little card she knew she would find.

_“I would love to be your escort to the St. Bart’s Christmas Ball this year. Tomorrow at 8pm i’ll be outside your door with nothing but hope that you will accept my offer to be your date. Sincerely yours, your Secret Santa. xxx” ___

____

____

Oh it seemed the time for the Secret Santa to reveal themselves had finally come. All this time she looked forward to it but now she almost feared it. She seriously hoped he wasn’t a madman this time. Or even worst, someone boring. She prefered a madman to a boring one.

The day of the ball, she was putting some finishing touches in her make up when she heard a knock on the door. She checked the clock on her nightstand and sure enough, it was only five minutes before 8pm. She tried to not run to the door and she almost succeded. When she got to the door she took a deep breath and opened it. But the person she saw in the other side made her feel a bit irritated.

“Sherlock, What are you doing here? If you want my help with any autopsies tonight you’re gonna have to wait. It’s St. Bart’s Christmas Ball tonight and i have to go.” she started rambling but Sherlock had already entered the house.

 

Sherlock stood in her living room now without saying anything. He only looked at her up and down, taking her entire appeareance in. He eventually moved his eyes in her own and cleared his throat.

“I knew that you would look magnificent in this. Are you ready to go?”

 

“Wait what? What do you mean you knew i would look magnificent in this? And ready to go where?”

 

“In the dress you’re wearing? And i came to take you to St. Bart’s Christmas Ball. For our… date?” he said sounding very uncertain suddenly.

 

“Our date? Wait… y- you’re the Secret Santa?” she asked feeling completely confused.

 

“Yes. Exactly. I am your Secret Santa.”

 

“But… why? Why would you do this?”

 

“Because… well i had noticed for many years now that you don’t celebrate Christmas, but i didn’t cared why you don’t, i only cared that it was very convientient for me and my work. But after the way i treated you that Christmas at Baker Street and while i was away, i looked into the reasons why you don’t celebrate it and i decided that i would do something about it when i came back. But by the time i did you were enganged, and then you weren’t and i was too deep into the Magnusen case and then i almost got exiled… Well you get the point.” he finished and took a deep breath.

 

“Ok? But that doesn’t exactly explain why you send all those things Sherlock.” said Molly still feeling confused.

 

“It doesn’t? Come on Molly you know that you’re very important to me. More important than anyone else really. You… you are the one who matters the most. I wanted to tell you when i came back, that i wanted to be with you, but you were enganged. And i don’t really deserve you to be honest. But… i’m in love with you. And i want to spend this Christmas and every Christmas with you. If, you know… you want that too.”

Molly stood there silent for a few minutes trying to fully grasp everything that Sherlock said. Could he really mean it? Should she believe him? Sherlock must have seen her doubts in her face because he broke the silence.

“Molly i understand why you may not believe me but you can see me. You could see me when no one else could. You know me better than anyone else. You know when i lie. And i don’t lie to you right now. But if you don’t want to take the chance, i will accept it and we will go to the ball as two very good friends, if that’s what you really wa…”

 

“Oh Sherlock just shut up.” Molly stopped him while moving closer to him. 

 

When she finally stopped right in front of him, she grabbed him from the lapels of his Belfast and pulled him down to her. Sherlock understood her intentions and was very willing to meet her in the middle. Their lips found very easily each other, Sherlock’s hands moved around her in a tight embrace and pulled her closer to him.

 

The kiss lasted for a few minutes, until the need for breathing became urgent. Their lips got separated but Sherlock didn’t let her move away from him. He looked at her with a big smile on his face.

“Sooo… does that means that you believe me?”

 

“Yes. I do believe you.”

 

“Good. So you’re ready for the ball now?”

 

“Yes i am. Just wait for a minute and we are leaving.”

With another quick and chaste kiss in his lips, Molly regrettfully stepped away from Sherlock’s arms and moved towards her bedroom. In there she re-applied her lipstick, took a fluffy but very classy jacket from her closet, grabbed a very elegant purse in her hands and rejoined Sherlock in the living room.

“Now i’m ready to go.”

Sherlock said nothing but he offered her his hand. Without hesitation, Molly put her hand in his and they left the flat, both determinated to make this newly founded relationship work. And who knows, thought Molly. Maybe she could learn to love Christmas again.


End file.
